Something large and heavy landing on my bed jerked me out of my dreams. They'd been such good dreams too. Like most dreams, they were already fading far too quickly, but I did remember piercing blue eyes and hot kisses.
"I hate you," I muttered as I sat up, my eyes still closed. Chase knew I was a grumpy morning person. He knew not to wake me up so abruptly, the little brat. Man, I need coffee stat.
"I forgot how much of a grump you are in the morning." The deep rumble had my eyes flying open.
"Johnny!" I squealed, wide awake now as threw myself at my big brother. Johnny was in his senior year at USC and I missed him when he was gone.
"Hey Sparky," he laughed as he caught me. Someday I'd figure out why he called me that.
"What are doing here? And where is my coffee?" I shoved hair out of my face. Johnny reached for the white nightstand by my bed. I followed his movement with my eyes and found the steaming mug sitting there. My hand flashed out and snatched it up before Johnny could. I took a sip, my whole body relaxing as the blessed caffeine coursed through my system.
"Semester break. I'm home for the rest of the month." Johnny got up and wandered aimlessly around my room as I sipped coffee and tried to wake up. "You been giving the old man hell? He looks a little worn around the edges."
Johnny wasn't kidding. Dad had been looking more tired than usual and it concerned me, but there was only so much a seventeen year old girl could do.
"I try. Can't get him to a doctor. You know how he is."
Silence fell. It was comfortable and familiar, the sort of silence that falls when people have known each forever. I drained my coffee and hand the cup off to Johnny, who was already waiting for it. He ruffled my hair and walked out, leaving me to get dressed. I threw on a pair of leggings, one of my gauzy skirts, and a long sleeved shirt then headed out to the living room.
I found dad stretched out in his armchair, one hand lazily stroking Joe, our shih tzu, who was also curled in the chair. Our pit bull, Capone, was curled on the floor next to the chair. I grinned as I leaned down and kissed them all good morning. Dad grunted a morning back at me without taking his eyes off the TV. It was only ten in the morning, but Dad was obviously set for a day of sports television. I'd been sure he'd be out fishing or hunting today but I guess he'd known Johnny was coming home.
Johnny came out of the kitchen, a pair of mugs in hand. Steam billowed off them and curled in the air, the smell of coffee permeating the air. He settled on the sofa after handing one mug to dad. I wandered into the kitchen to get more coffee.
I would love to say I was really close to my dad and brother, but as a teenage girl that just wouldn't be true. I had great relationships with them both, though and we were close enough. They were all I had after all. Being raised by two guys who pretty much defined manly-man hadn't been easy on a young girl. It was worse for a teenage girl. My dad was huge, well over 6 foot and built like The Rock. He wore a perpetual scowl and liked to growl a lot. If he wasn't enough to scare off a potential date, Johnny was nearly as big and a football player on top of it. Guys didn't stick around long.
And unless I wanted to be subjected to beer drinking, television yelling, and the general maleness that came with watching sports, I wouldn't stick around either. Besides, I really wanted tacos and Bob's wasn't that far away. I'd be going alone though, thanks to Chase giving a couple guitar lessons today.
I drained coffee gone cold while I was lost in my head again. After rinsing the mug, I headed back to the living room to find the men in my life already in full on sports fan mode. I grabbed my purse as I rolled my eyes at them.
"Can I have the truck, so I can go do something that won't rot brain cells?" It was an old joke between us. I actually liked sports. I just wasn't a fan of watching them on TV. There was something about being there, in the stadium, that just got in my blood. The only sport I ever watched on TV was a Mariners game. The jingle of keys brought me back, again.
"Take mine, Sparky," Johnny said without ever taking his eyes off the television. He didn't have to tell me twice. I snatched the keys and headed outside to climb in Johnny's old beat up Chevy. The thing looked like hell, but it purred like a kitten.
I loved Bob's Diner. It was an old church someone had converted and it was family owned and operated. I loved places like that. It had the benefit of being one of my mom's favorite places before she died.
The male model blonde was behind the counter today. Seriously, for a guy old enough to be my dad, he was extremely good looking. I took a seat and pulled my tablet out of my bag, then got lost in one of my reverse harem novels. The one I was currently reading had a Sci Fi bent to it. Chase was always harassing me about my obsession with reverse harems, but I found it nice to be able to read a story where the poor girl wasn't forced to choose and the guys checked their egos at the door.
"You ready?" I jerked my head up at the voice. There was something in the voice that sounded a bit familiar. Like, something I'd heard before but slightly different. My breath caught as I met a pair of blue eyes that had haunted my dreams. Except they weren't quite the same. McHottie's eyes had been piercing blue the other day, but today they were much paler.
"Hi," it came out breathier than I intended. He just stared at me. I kept waiting for him to say something, anything. Waiting for him to call me Gypsy again. Then it hit me that he was waiting for an answer and I was a moron. I was also disappointed that he didn't seem to remember me. I guess I hadn't made as much of an impression on him as I thought.
"I'll have the tacos, but can you tell whoever is back there that I want the real ones, not the ones on the menu and God help them if they put cheese on them. Oh, and tea please."
McHottie nodded and left and I sighed, watching him leave. Another one bites the dust, I guess. Someday I'd find a guy who would look at my dad and brother and not run the other way. Today wasn't that day though. Not one to dwell, I went back to my novel.
I'd read no more than a page or two, when a porcelain teacup with pink flowers and steam coming off it was set in front of me, the string of a tea bag hanging out. I blinked at it. Usually I had to send the iced tea they brought me back.
"You brought me hot tea." It was a statement as I stared up at Mchottie, wondering how he knew. He gave me quizzical look as placed a tiny silver pot of cream in front of me.
"If you wanted iced tea, you would have said iced tea."
"And...cream." Again wondering how he'd known.
"Tea should have cream." The way he said it left no room for argument if I'd been so inclined. I had to hold back a smile. Then a square of chocolate on a tiny plate was set in front of me. The smile erupted at the beautiful, cunning, detailed, pink icing rose that decorated the top.
"Pretty girls deserve pretty chocolate," he said in a matter of fact tone, then walked away.
I stared after him, grinning stupidly. Maybe I'd made more of an impression than I thought. I hadn't ordered the chocolate after all. Out of curiosity, I glanced around the room. There were several girls who qualified as pretty, a couple were even alone. None of them had a pink icing roses on a square of chocolate in front of them.
I dipped a finger into the icing rose and popped it into my mouth. So good. My eyes closed as I licked the icing off and I think i moaned a little. When my eyes opened they sought out McHottie. He was behind the counter talking with the male model. Shock ran through me as the male model's eyes flicked in my direction. Where they talking about me? Did I want them to be talking about me?
I ran my eyes over McHottie again. Yeah, I was pretty sure I wanted them to be talking about me. My heart was racing as I watched McHottie working. He was so different today. He'd been kind of flirty and sauve when we met outside the hospital, but today there was none of that. He was just...genuine and matter of fact about everything. It was refreshing to know he really believed everything he said. At least, if he was being genuine and not playing me for a dumb blonde.
I'd had guys do that before. Take one look at me and think I was an idiot, think they could just say anything and I'd fall at their feet. Think just because I was pretty and blonde, I wouldn't know if they were lying to me, or cheating on me, or playing me. That was one of the benefits to having overprotective men in my life, they'd made sure I knew the games guys played.
McHottie came back with my food. I really needed to ask his name, but I was finding it hard to think straight when he was around. He set the steaming plate of spicy pork and corn tortillas in front of me. I wasn't sure which was making my mouth water more, the tacos or him.
And then he took off this apron and sat down across from me.
I'm reasonably sure my brain quit working.
"Pretty girls shouldn't eat alone." Again it was said as a statement of fact and not like he was trying a line or flirting. It was kind of adorable.
"Um, aren't you working?" I glanced around nervously at the other tables nearby. As I did, the male model brought out food to the couple two tables down.
"Break time."
I had to smile. He was a guy of few words today. I took a couple bites of my tacos, letting the spicy flavors roll over my tongue. McHottie didn't say anything and I was getting a bit uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say or do or how to act. I didn't know anything about him.
My eyes fell to his shirt. Previously it had been covered by the apron he wore. It was navy blue with the words "Twins with too much time on their hands are the devil" and a rough image of Hikaru and Kaoru from Ouran Highschool Host Club. I was nearly giddy.
"I love that anime," I said pointing to his shirt in between bites.
He glanced down at the shirt, hugging lean muscle and making me want to lick his biceps, with a confused look. Shrugging, he looked back up at me.
"Sorry, didn't know it was from a show. My twin sister gave it to me." He put his forearms on the table and leaned forward on them a bit. It stretched his shirt tighter across his arms. I'd never thought I had any particular love a specific body part but right now I wanted to lick and kiss all over his strong, muscular arms. I stuffed more taco into my mouth to keep from doing something stupid and embarrassing, like drooling.
"You're a twin?" I asked after swallowing. He nodded. "That's awesome. So your shirt is from my favorite anime, Ouran Highschool Host Club. It's incredible, a reverse harem."
" A what?"
I kept waiting for a laugh or a smile but he was so serious. It made me wonder what it would take to get him to let loose. I explained what a reverse harem was in between bites of taco, then my brain decided to take a little vacay and my mouth ran away with it. I went on and on, telling him all about my favorite anime. He just watched me as if he was taking in everything I said like it was the most important thing in the world. It would have made me blush, but I wasn't really prone to blushing.
Before I knew it my food was gone but my mouth just kept going. Finally McHottie tilted his head and reached across the table, patting my hand. Holy shit! He touched me!
"It sounds great. I should watch it, maybe with company sometime." He smiled for the first time and I swear it lit up the room. "My break is over, I should go." He picked up his apron from the chair next him and slipped it on as he stood up. He started walking back to the kitchen, then turned back and smiled again.
"Perhaps I should watch it with a pretty girl." Then he was gone. I was frozen for like a half second, then jumped up, threw down enough to cover my meal and a tip and ran outside. I needed to to call Chase, right now.